Archibald Frisby
"Archibald Frisby" is Episode 5 in Season 13. It originally aired on October 6, 1995. Synopsis The episode begins with LeVar looking at a roller coaster zooming by. He asks himself, "Should I or shouldn't I? That is the question. Do I just stand here and watch or am I going to collect my courage and jump aboard." The answer is yes. He is going for it. The reason he has come to Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, New Jersey is to ride it, the Great American Scream Machine, as it is called. It starts moving and as it goes up the first hill, LeVar tells the viewers, "I do love roller coasters. Every time I sit in one of the cars, butterflies flutter in my stomach. But there's really nothing to worry about because I've got a great seat." Now all he has to do is just sit back, relax, and hang on for the ride! As soon as it is over, he says, "I can't believe how fast it went!" He wonders, "Ho do they make the coaster go so fast? How does it stay on the track? Why is it that we love scary rides like this?" He isn't the only one asking "why" and "how" questions. In the title book, the main/title character spends his days asking himself all kinds of scientific questions. LeVar tell the viewers that the main/title character in the title book spent his life observing things; or taking a close look at the world around him. LeVar takes a close look at the roller coaster to answer his questions. The train's wheels guide the cars, hugging the track on three sides. That could be the "roll" in "roller coaster". The coaster doesn't have an engine. How can it go so fast without one? A chain is hooked onto the train, which pulls it up the first hill. When it gets to the top, the chains releases the train and gravity does the rest. The first drop gives the coaster enough speed and velocity to continue through the entire ride. That could be the "coast" in "roller coaster". As you can see, observing can help you answer lots of questions. Scientists do it every day, and sometimes what they see can lead to life-changing discoveries. For example, George DeMestral looked at how grass burrs got stuck in the fabric of one's clothes. Observing the burrs under a microscope, he saw that each one has tiny hooks. It gave him the idea to invent a fastener to stick things together. It is known today as "Velcro". How do you design a car that will protect passengers? Scientists examine wrecked ones to answer this question that has been studied for many years. In an early experiment, an egg crashed into a miniature car and came out as a scrambled one. When it was strapped to the seat, one of the first seat belts was invented. How do you determine the effects of car accidents on humans? Researchers use a crash dummy test to answer this question. Crash test dummies are designed to move like humans. Each one has a computer that keeps track of what happens to the human body during a collision. Cameras film the crash at different angles. Scientists watch it many times over and over again to answer many questions like, "Why is important to wear seat belts?" These help keep us safe on the road. How can human beings live and work in space without gravity? Scientists observe how people move in outer space by simulating weightless conditions on Earth. Moving around in a pool of water is sort of like being weightless in space. Doing this research gives scientists ideas of what happens to astronauts during real space flights. How can you eat and drink in space without gravity? This was a real challenge to say the least. Scientists first experimented by putting food in squeeze tubes, but that didn't taste good. Then they designed trays and containers to hold astronauts' favorite foods. Here's one more question to face for space: How do you sleep in outer space? Astronauts strap themselves in special sleeping bags to keep them from floating around the cabin. And there's no need for a pillow. Looking closely can answer many scientific questions. Another way to help you figure them out is called trial and error. LeVar tries out the frog game. The idea is to hit the catapult with a mallet and send the frog flying onto one of the lily pads. He hits it once, but the frog doesn't go anywhere near the lily pads. He tries experimenting. He hits a little harder the second time around and the frog lands in the water. It seems that he needs to try a different approach. He turns the catapult a little, takes good aim, and puts a little more zing in his swing. This time, the frog lands on a lily pad and he gets a prize. He explains to the viewers, "The thing about this game is that you need to try different ways. Just some trial and error." Whether top athletes are jumping or soaring through the air, they work hard to achieve performances that leave us breathless. One of them is high jumper Yolanda Henry. She works with he coach and a biomechanist, experimenting to find the right moves for the perfect jump. The human body is just like a machine. The motors are known as muscles. Biomechanists study the body to learn how it functions like a machine. To observe how the athlete moves during the jump, two cameras are set up to film it. The high jumps has three parts: the run-up, the take-off, and the bar clearance (the part when you go over the bar). After the jump is recorded, it gets projected on a screen. The information is then entered into a computer. It ends up as an animation. It allows the biomechanists to view the jump from different angles. One uses the computer to see how small changes in the athlete's technique can improve his or her performance. To Yolanda, it's basically seeing yourself do something over and over again from point A to point Z in the right way. LeVar is in one of the eating places at SFGA. He places an upside down paper plate over a glass of water and turns the latter over. He holds the bottom of it. The plate is still on it, even when it's upside down. The question is, "Why is the water still in the glass?" Well, the air pressure is pushing the plate up against the glass and it's stronger than the water pushing down on it. LeVar explains that the world of full of interesting questions. Next time you have one, just remember that you have all the tools that you need to search for the answers. Review Books *What Makes Popcorn Pop? *I Wonder Why Soap Makes Bubbles *The Science Magic Series Category:Season 13 Category:Episodes